The Potrero
	The Potrero, located at 450 Rhode Island Street is a newly constructed mixed- use project in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. This full block development consists of 165 market rate condominium units over a street level garage, Whole Foods Market, and other commercial spaces. The podium level landscape is composed of two unique courtyards for residential use, and a mid-block mews which allows public access between Kansas Street and Rhode Island Street during daylight hours. At the street level a public mini-park has been built on the south west corner of the project, and the entire city block around the development underwent streetscape improvements. The public mews connects Kansas Street and Rhode Island Street at mid-block point and thus provides a convenient connection for neighborhood residents. With its raised and recessed planters and built-in seat walls it is also a pleasant place to rest or enjoy a lunch break. The mews planting of deciduous trees and Mediterranean type shrubs enlivens the alley and provides an effective separation between the public space and the adjacent private patios. A strong two-tone dynamic pattern of concrete paving leads to the North Court at the same level, and to the South Court one story up. The North Court’s simple, geometrical design features composite wood decking, custom made wood benches, planters with grasses and evergreen trees, and a cluster of rocks set in a bisected field of turf. The verdant grass planting creates a lush space seldom found in dense urban areas. In contrast to the mostly green vegetation at the North Court, the planting in the South Court displays a splash of vivid colors. Bosques of purple-blooming princess flowers are set in bermed mounds around an oval turf area. Silvery gray ground covers and the white trunks of birch trees compliment this brilliant hue. A walkway lined by California Fan Palms leads through the courtyard onto Mariposa Street. The public pocket park anchors the corner of Mariposa and Kansas Streets. It is a little gem of colorful shrub planting and evergreen trees, with sof decomposed granite paving and a pair of wood benches. Visually the park ties into terraced planting on the private property.
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA YEAR: 2008 CLIENT: Lambert Development ARCHITECT: Christiani Johnson Architects Architect of Record: HKS, Inc.